The Spurs keep making the same point in different ways: if you sell out to stop Victor Wembanyama, you may still be in trouble.
That was on display again Monday in San Antonio’s 119-97 win over Utah. Wembanyama finished with 12 points in 24 minutes, a quiet night by his standards, but the Spurs never needed him to carry the whole load. Stephon Castle said the team’s depth and shot creation make that a dangerous proposition for opponents.
"I feel like we have so many wrinkles and so many guys that can just make a play out of nothing," Castle said following Monday's 119-97 victory over Utah.
Castle had just lived through both extremes in a short span. Two nights earlier against Minnesota, he didn’t score at all and missed all four of his field-goal attempts while battling a migraine. Even so, San Antonio won 121-111 behind Wembanyama’s 43 points and six blocks, plus 25 points from Dylan Harper and 22 from De'Aaron Fox.
Against Utah, the script flipped. Wembanyama still helped in other ways with 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, but the scoring burden shifted. Harper led the Spurs with 17 points and eight assists, Castle added 16, and San Antonio’s bench poured in 51 points.
The third quarter showed exactly how this team can punish a defense from multiple angles. Wembanyama, Harper, Castle and Fox each scored six points in the period as the Spurs outscored Utah 35-20.
It wasn’t just a series of solo acts, either. Wembanyama set up Harper for a dunk early in the quarter, and Harper later found Castle for an alley-oop.
That kind of sequence is the problem for opponents. Fox can beat defenders off the dribble.
Harper can get into the paint and create when the defense collapses. Castle adds another physical driver who can attack the basket.
None of them needs Wembanyama to do all the heavy lifting.
"It's really fun to play with Dylan," Castle said, pointing to his teammate's ability to read the floor and consistently get into the paint.
The Spurs’ defense helped fuel the whole thing. Utah shot just 35.4% from the field, and San Antonio won the fast-break battle 26-9. Coach Mitch Johnson said the group’s personnel gives them a real edge when they’re locked in.
"We have a pretty talented group defensively with our personnel, so when they execute like that together, it can make it tough on teams," coach Mitch Johnson said.
That defense creates the easy offense. It lets Fox, Harper and Castle push the pace before the other team can get set, and it gives them chances to create in the half-court when needed.
None of this means the Spurs are untouchable. Oklahoma City held Wembanyama to 1-of-13 shooting in San Antonio’s season-opening loss, and the rest of the offense didn’t do enough to make up for it.
Still, Castle’s confidence makes sense. Wembanyama remains the first name on every scouting report at 7-foot-4, with a rare blend of size and skill.
But Fox, Harper and Castle are not waiting around for him to rescue them every night. They can score on their own, they can set each other up, and when one of them is off, the others have already shown they can carry the load.
In Other News...
Dylan Harper Said What Spurs Fans Are Starting To Believe About Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyamas latest night was the kind that forces even hardened NBA observers to stop and reset their expectations. He put up 52 points, 24 rebounds, eight blocks and two steals in 34 minutes, a line so rare it put him alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever reach at least 50 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocks in a game. It also kept the Spurs rolling, pushing their winning streak to six and lifting them to 6-2.
For a young roster trying to find its identity, the bigger takeaway may be how quickly Wembanyama is turning awe into routine. Dylan Harper was among the teammates who came away sounding like fans, praising Wembanyamas dominance and drawing the Chamberlain comparison himself, which says plenty about the standard being set inside the locker room. The question now is less about whether Wembanyama can take over a game than how far San Antonio can ride nights like this while the rest of the league keeps trying to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Is Putting Dallas Through The Exact Show Spurs Fans Dreamed Of
Victor Wembanyama made the Spurs matchup with Dallas feel like a showcase from the opening tip, and by halftime he had already piled up a line that looked more like a full game than a first half. The rookie center scored 29 points on 7-for-12 shooting and added 16 rebounds, two assists, three steals and six blocks, giving San Antonio exactly the kind of two-way dominance its fans have been imagining since he arrived.
The Mavericks tried to keep pace through Kyrie Irving, who had 17 points and four assists, but Wembanyama kept bending the game in San Antonios favor on both ends. For a Spurs team still building around its new centerpiece, nights like this are a reminder of how quickly he can change the tone of a game, and how uncomfortable he can make even a veteran opponent look when the matchup tilts his way. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyamas Historic Night Still Left Him Frustrated With One Thing
Victor Wembanyama delivered the kind of performance that can reshape a game and a conversation at the same time, piling up a career-high 52 points with 24 rebounds and eight blocks to lift the Spurs past Dallas, 112-111. It was the sort of night San Antonio has been waiting to see from its franchise centerpiece, especially with the rest of the roster struggling to keep pace offensively while the Mavericks kept clawing back into it.
Even after all that, Wembanyama did not sound like a player fully satisfied with the finish. He pointed to a few late-game details he wanted back, including missed free throws and the way he handled some screen-setting sequences, a reminder that his standards are already set well beyond a box score that most players would celebrate for weeks. For the Spurs, the win mattered most, but the frustration attached to it may be just as telling about where their star thinks this group still has room to grow. [Read more 🡒]